Two Decades of Generalizable Evidence on U.S. Instruction from National Surveys

Background: Students’ instructional experiences—that is, their experiences working with subject matter during classroom instruction—are a major determinant of how they learn. Given the importance of classroom instruction, valid, generalizable evidence is needed by policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. Over the past two decades, a wealth of generalizable evidence on instruction has been generated by large-scale surveys administered to nationally-representative probability samples. But this vast body of research has not been systematically summarized.

Purpose of the Study: This article attempts to fill a gap in the research by describing evidence on instruction from all surveys conducted between 1987 and 2005 that measured instruction using nationally-representative samples. Our goal is to generate a portrait of the evidence from these surveys that identifies strengths and gaps in the literature and that summarizes what this research base says about the relationship between classroom instruction and student outcomes.

Research Design: Evidence on instruction was compiled and summarized in four steps: (1) all surveys conducted between 1987 and 2005 that measured instruction and were administered to nationally representative probability samples were identified, (2) manuscripts using data from these surveys were selected for review, (3) the dimensions of instruction addressed by each manuscript and other manuscript characteristics were coded, and (4) the methodology and findings of each manuscript were summarized.

Findings: More than half the studies used data more than a decade old; few studies examined instruction during important transition years such as sixth and ninth grade; and subject area emphasis was lopsided, with mathematics and science instruction receiving much greater attention than English/Language Arts and Social Studies. The summary also revealed a repeated finding of low-SES students receiving diminished learning opportunities than more affluent peers. We also found repeated evidence of a positive association with student achievement for six instructional activities, and repeated evidence of a negative or null association with achievement for two instructional activities.

Conclusions: More research is needed on disparities in the instructional experiences of low- and high-income students. More research is also needed on instruction at key transition points and on instruction in English/language arts and social studies. This review also suggests a need for studies that more rigorously test research questions about instruction using measures that more authentically reflect the complexities of instruction and that examine student achievement growth over longer periods of time.

To view the full-text for this article you must be signed-in with the appropropriate membership. Please review your options below:

Sign-in

Email:

Password:

Store a cookie on my computer that will allow me to skip this sign-in in the future.

Purchase Two Decades of Generalizable Evidence on U.S. Instruction from National SurveysIndividual-Resource passes allow you to purchase access to resources one resource at a time. There are no recurring fees.

$12

Become a Member

Online AccessWith this membership you receive online access to all of TCRecord's content. The introductory rate of $25 is available for a limited time.

$25

Print and Online AccessWith this membership you receive the print journal and free online access to all of TCRecord's content.

Eric CamburnUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonE-mail AuthorERIC M. CAMBURN is an Associate Professor in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Camburn’s current research focuses on how formal and informal learning experiences support the improvement of teaching and leadership practice. A second, and related stream of research focuses on distributed leadership and its role in supporting instructional change. Recent publications include “Investigating Connections Between Distributed Leadership and Instructional Change” in Alma Harris (ed.) Distributed Leadership: Different Perspectives, Springer Press and “Assessing The Validity Of A Language Arts Instruction Log Through Triangulation” appearing in the Elementary School Journal in 2004.

Seong Won HanUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonE-mail AuthorSEONG WON HAN is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is currently working on a research project which examines the cross-national variations in the distribution of teacher quality, mathematics instruction and student achievement. Her research interests include social stratification, inequality in education, educational policy and school reform.